There are already some good websites to see thermal in 2D map. However, we are flying in 3D.
How the thermal "flow" with the terrain?
Where are the real triggers?
After arriving at a slope/spine, how high I need to be to catch the thermal easily?
To figure out these questions, we need to view thermal in 3D. I write some simple code to analyze igc track files. With the help of Google Earth, we can do it.
I also take another parameter into consideration "TIME". Thermal points are labeled with different colors based on the time they are logged.
before 12pm: Red
12pm - 2pm: Yellow
2pm - 4pm: Green
after 4pm: Blue
As expected, east facing slopes start working first. Northwest facing slopes start working in the late afternoon.
Below, each site is linked to a kml file, which is based on the top 50 flights from that site. You can download the kml file, load it to Google Earth and play with it.
Austria: Bezau, Bischling, Emberger_Alm, Hohe_Wand, Innsbruck, Kossen, Schmittenhohe, Schockl, Stoderzinken
French Alps: Annecy, Chabre, Planpraz, Saint_Hilaire, St_Andre
Germany: Brauneck, Hochfelln, Tegelberg, Wallberg
Italian Alps: Antholz, Bassano, Cavallaria, Col_Rodella, Cornizzolo, Malanotte, Meduno, Speikboden
Central Italy: Alvito, Campo_Staffi, Monte_Cucco, Norma, Poggio_Bustone, Tocco_Da_Casauria
Slovenia: Kobala, Sorica, Stol, Lijak_Kovk
Switzerland: Brunni, Cari, Cimetta, Disentis, Ebenalp, Fanas, Fiesch, Jura, Marbachegg, Monte Tamaro, Mornera, Motta Naluns, Niesen, Pilatus, Wispile, Zugerberg
Pyreness: Ager, Bellmunt, Castejon_de_Sos, Queralt, Rasos_de_Peguera, Arbas, Louron
Portugal: Serra_da_Estrela
Canada: Golden_BC, Pemberton_BC, Mt_Woodside
USA: Bishop, Boulder, Walts_Point
India: Bir_Billing
Nepal: Pokhara
Bulgaria: Sopot
If you have never used Google Earth before, you need to download one for Desktop or Mobile Phone. Alternatively, you can just use the Web version with your browser, but it is slow.
You will have best experience with Desktop version because of better hardware.
Questions and answers:
Do you consider the influence of wind while computing the thermal point?
No. Assuming most big flights in the mountains are done with little wind, you can think of this as how thermal "flow" without external wind.
Can you also get a 3D file for the whole country or the whole Alps.
Yes, it is possible. But the file will be big and it will take a lot of RAM/CPU for your computer to render it.
One thing you can do is to drag several files in the nearby region into Google Earth together.
There are some regions/sites I want to see 3D thermal, but they are not listed above. Can you add it?
Sure, it is easy to do. Just leave me a message in the feedback page.
Is it possible to have this 3D thermal map for sites in other countries?
If it is also mountain flying and there are some flights available on XContest, I can add it easily. Just leave me a message in the feedback page.
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